HERSCHEL

I. General project/facility description

Overview of the facility/project
Herschel is a 3.5m aperture, space-borne observatory passively cooled to
80K that will orbit the earth-sun L2 point and have imaging and
spectroscopic capabilities in the wavelength range from 60 to 670
µ. Its primary mission will be to study the formation of
galaxies, investigate the creation of stars, and examine the
chemistry of the universe.

Managing institution and organization
The mission is presently managed by the European Research and
Technology Center (ESTEC) in the Netherlands for the European Space
Agency (ESA). Management of the mission will be transferred to the
Villafranca Satelite Tracking Station (VILSPA), Spain for the post
launch phase of the mission.
The U.S. portion of the mission is being managed by JPL for NASA.
During the post launch phase U.S. observers will interact with
the NASA Herschel Science Center (NHSC) at the Infrared Processing
and Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech.

Funding source(s)
The mission is funded primarily by ESA with a large NASA
participation. During the post launch phase, NASA will be
funding a grants program similar to other NASA flight missions (
e.g. HST, Chandra).

Construction history and cost
NASA contribution through launch in real year dollars in millions of
dollars . The primary assumption here is that the launch date will be met.

Prior

FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

total

30.8

15.2

13.7

20.3

18.3

5.3

6.9

12.6

126.9

Operational history and cost
Future facility. Budgeted costs are as follows:

NASA/JPL contributions to the instrument:
The focal plane for SPIRE will be using detectors
developed by Dr. J. Bock at JPL who is a co-I on SPIRE.
These are called Spider Web bolometers and polarization
sensitive bolometers and are the most sensitive detectors
in this wavelength range. Such detectors have never before flown in space.

Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS)
Imaging photometer and medium resolution grating spectrometer
working in the 60 to 210 micron range.
(no direct U.S. participation in this instrument)

New capabilities anticipated/planned in next 5-10 years
Future facility: see above.

III. User profile

% of "open skies" time
Approximately 67% of the facility observing time will be openly
competed internationally. 33% of the facility observing time
is reserved for the guaranteed time observers (=instrument
teams, ESA Project Scientist, and the mission and telescope scientists).

Institutional affiliations of users
Decisions on the allocation of observing time is made by the Herschel
Time Allocation Committee. Any person affiliated with an American
institution will be eligible to propose for observing time associated
with funding through the grant program.

Student access, involvement, usage
Other than the openly competed time and the U.S. portion of guaranteed
time, no special arrangements have been made for students.

IV. Science Overview

Current forefront scientific programs
Future facility: NA

Major discoveries (through 1999)
Future facility: NA

Science highlights of last 5 years
Future facility: NA

Main future science questions to be addressed

Study the formation of galaxies in the early universe and their
subsequent evolution.

Investigate the creation of stars and their interaction
with the interstellar medium.

Observe the chemical composition of the atmospheres and surfaces
of comets, planets, and satellites.

Examine the molecular chemistry of the universe.

Synergies with other major forefront facilities

Herschel will provide a number of new galaxies at high
redshift similar to those discovered by SCUBA for follow-up by
ground based optical and near-IR telescopes.

Large sky surveys conducted by Herschel will provide a
whole host of targets for follow-up by ALMA and SOFIA , both for
higher resolution imaging and for spectroscopy.

Herschel will follow-up Spitzer results at long wavelengths
with higher resolution and spectroscopic capability.

Unique contributions

Herschel will be able to image and take spectra in wavelength
regions not accessible from the ground and never before
observed from space.